Cookies on the Bupa website

We use cookies to help us understand ease of use and relevance of content. This ensures that we can give you the best experience on our website. If you continue, we'll assume that you are happy to receive cookies for this purpose. Find out more about cookies

Details

Your radiologist will explain how to prepare for your angioplasty. For example, if you smoke, you will be asked to stop. Smoking increases your risk of the artery blocking again and slows your recovery.

Angioplasty is usually done under local anaesthesia. You will have an injection of local anaesthetic in the area where the needle will be inserted, usually in your groin. This completely blocks pain in the area and you will stay awake during the procedure. You may also be offered a sedative, which will help you to relax.

If you're having an angioplasty, you will be asked to follow fasting instructions. This means not eating or drinking, typically for about four to six hours beforehand. However, it’s important to follow your radiologist’s advice.

Your nurse may check your heart rate and blood pressure before and during the procedure. The procedure is usually done through a large artery in your groin. Therefore, you may be asked to shave the area where the needle will be inserted. It’s important that you don’t shave this area unless you are asked to do so.

Your radiologist will discuss with you what will happen before, during and after your procedure, and any pain you might have. If you’re unsure about anything, ask. No question is too small. Being fully informed will help you feel more at ease, so you can give your consent for the procedure to go ahead. You may be asked to do this by signing a consent form.Tell your radiologist before the procedure if you know that you’re allergic to iodine or X-ray dye.

Symptoms of peripheral arterial disease can often be reduced by antiplatelet drugs, such as statins, or an exercise programme. You will only be offered an angioplasty if your symptoms are severe, and other treatments don’t work or aren’t suitable for you.

If an angioplasty doesn’t work or isn’t suitable for you, you may need to have bypass surgery. This is an operation to make your blood flow around the blocked artery instead of through it. The operation involves attaching a graft artery to your blood vessel above and below the blocked area.

If you decide not to have angioplasty or bypass surgery, your doctor may prescribe you medicines.

Angioplasty usually takes between 30 and 60 minutes. It's typically done in the X-ray department of a hospital.

Your radiologist will make a small cut in your groin and thread a thin flexible tube (called a catheter) into an artery in your groin. They will inject a special dye (called contrast medium) into the catheter. This helps to show any narrowing or blockages in the blood vessels in your leg. You shouldn't feel the catheter inside your blood vessels, but you may feel a warm sensation when the contrast medium is injected.

Using live X-ray pictures, your radiologist will guide the catheter to the blocked artery. Your radiologist will then pass a thin wire with a balloon on the tip through the blocked or narrowed part of your artery. Once it’s in place, he or she will inflate the balloon. It may be inflated more than once to make sure your artery is open and allows blood to flow more easily.

Sometimes, a very small wire mesh tube (called a stent) is used to keep your artery open. A collapsed stent is inserted along with the balloon. When the balloon is inflated the stent expands to fit against your artery walls. The balloon is deflated and removed, leaving the opened stent in place.

Stents are usually made of metal (known as bare-metal stents) and some have a drug coating on them (called drug-eluting stents). The drug is released slowly into your artery to stop it closing up again. Your radiologist will inform you about the the type of stent he or she is using.

After the procedure, your radiologist will remove the balloon, guide wire and catheter.

Your radiologist may use a collagen plug or similar device to seal the hole in your artery. Alternatively, he or she may press on the area for 10 minutes to make sure that the artery closes and any bleeding stops.

The procedure shouldn't be painful, but may feel slightly uncomfortable.

Prompt access to quality care

From treatment through to aftercare, with Bupa health insurance we aim to get you the help you need, as quickly as possible. Find out more today.

You'll need to lie flat on the bed for the first hour after the procedure, and typically stay in bed for three hours to recover. However, your recovery time may be shorter if your radiologist is using a plug to stop the bleeding in your groin.

Your nurse will check your blood pressure and pulse regularly. They will check the puncture area (where the catheter was inserted) to make sure there isn't any bleeding. You may also have a blood test.

You may need to stay in hospital overnight. But you will probably be able to go home the same day as the procedure.

You will need to arrange for someone to drive you home. Make sure you have a friend or relative stay with you for the first 24 hours.

If you have had a sedative, it will temporarily affect your co-ordination and reasoning skills. Therefore, you must not drive, drink alcohol, operate machinery or sign legal documents for 24 hours afterwards. If you're in any doubt about driving, contact your motor insurer, so that you're aware of their recommendations, and always follow your doctor's advice.

Your doctor may prescribe medicines to help prevent clots forming on your stent.

Your nurse will give you some advice before you go home. This may include information about:

medicines, such as those that help to stop blood clots forming around the stent

If you need pain relief, you can take over-the-counter painkillers, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. Always read the patient information that comes with your medicine and if you have any questions, ask your pharmacist for advice.

Depending on the type of work you do, you may be able to return to work after a few days.

You shouldn't lift anything heavy for the first week after your angioplasty. You can usually shower 24 hours after your procedure, but you shouldn’t have a bath for at least a few days.

As with every procedure, there are some risks associated with angioplasty of the leg arteries. We have not included the chance of these happening as they are specific to you and differ for every person. Ask your doctor to explain how these risks apply to you.

Side-effects

Side-effects are the unwanted, but mostly temporary effects you may get after having the procedure.

You may have some bruising around your groin where the catheter was inserted. If you have any redness, swelling or widespread bruising when you get home, contact the X-ray department where you had the procedure or your GP.

Complications

Complications are when problems occur during or after the angioplasty.

Specific complications of angioplasty are rare, but possible complications are listed below.

Bleeding from your wound can sometimes be severe. If this happens, you may need to have a small operation to repair the artery.

Arteries treated with a stent can become narrow again. This is called restenosis. This is more likely to happen in the first few months after the procedure, when the cells covering the stent grow too quickly. If this happens, you may need to have another angioplasty.

You might have an allergic reaction to the dye used during the procedure. This could be a rash, or it could be a more severe reaction, which causes swelling and can affect your breathing. Your doctor will treat this quickly if it happens.

Your artery may become completely blocked during or soon after the procedure. You may need to have the angioplasty done again.

The tip of the catheter can dislodge a clot of blood or fatty material from the wall of a blood vessel.

The blood vessel being treated can be torn during the procedure. This may need an operation to repair it.

How can I reduce my risk of my blood vessels narrowing after an angioplasty?

Answer

The best way to improve the blood flow in your body and reduce your risk of your blood vessels narrowing is to lead a healthier lifestyle and keep active.

Explanation

An angioplasty opens up your arteries and improves blood supply to your legs, but it isn’t a cure for peripheral arterial disease. It can’t stop the build up of more fatty deposits in the future.

However, there are many things you can do that will help to keep your blood vessels healthy.

Quit smoking. If you need help giving up, ask a pharmacist or your GP for advice.

Keep physically active. Choose something you enjoy and build activity into your day-to-day life, such as walking to the shops and taking the stairs instead of the lift.

Maintain a healthy weight and eat a healthy, balanced diet. Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Eat foods that are low in fat and salt, and have two portions of fish a week (one of them an oily fish, for example, salmon or mackerel).

If you have long-term conditions, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, managing them correctly will help to reduce your risk of blood clots forming.

Is it safe for me to exercise after having leg angioplasty?

Answer

Yes, but it's best to take things easy for the first few days after your angioplasty. After that, you can gradually increase the amount of activity you do. Your doctor will be able to tell you how much to do.

Explanation

Regular exercise is not only safe to do after an angioplasty, but also very important, helping to improve the blood flow in your legs.

You should spend the first few days after your angioplasty resting and doing gentle activity only, such as gentle walking or going up and down the stairs. After a few days, you can gradually build up the amount of activity you do and aim to do a little bit more each day.

Walking is a great way to do this and you can build up the distance you walk as the days go by. After a few weeks, you might want to try riding a bike or going for a gentle jog.

A nurse, physiotherapist or exercise specialist can design an exercise programme for you, which will help to improve your fitness and health.

How soon can I fly after having a leg angioplasty?

Answer

You can fly two days after your procedure. But it’s important that you get medical advice before making any travel plans.

Explanation

If you have angioplasty of the legs and don’t have any complications, you can fly two days after your procedure. However, it’s important that you talk to your doctor before you fly so that you’re aware of your risk of developing a blood clot. It’s also a good idea to speak to the company you have travel insurance with.

There are steps you can take to reduce your risk of developing a blood clot in your legs. These include the following.

Take short walks – walk up and down the aisle of the plane.

Regularly bend and straighten your toes, ankles and legs to help improve the blood flow in your legs.

Wear loose-fitting clothes.

Keep hydrated by making sure you drink enough water.

Don’t drink too much alcohol.

Wear compression stockings.

If you develop swelling or pain in your calf or thigh during, or within a few days after your flight, seek urgent medical attention. Likewise, if you have breathing problems or chest pain after travelling, see a medical professional as soon as possible.

What happens if angioplasty doesn’t work?

Answer

An angioplasty is usually very successful at reducing your symptoms and improving blood flow in your legs. But this varies depending on how severe the narrowing or blockage of your artery is. If angioplasty doesn’t work for you, your surgeon may suggest bypass surgery.

Explanation

An angioplasty is generally very successful at reducing your symptoms and improving blood flow in your legs. However, it does vary depending on the severity of peripheral arterial disease. An angioplasty isn’t suitable if the narrowed section of your artery is too long, or if the artery is severely hardened.

If an angioplasty isn’t suitable or doesn’t work for you, you may need to have artery bypass surgery to treat peripheral arterial disease instead. This is an operation to make your blood flow around the narrowed area of your artery, instead of through it. Your surgeon will do this by attaching a new blood vessel to your artery just above and below the blocked area. Your surgeon may use another vein taken from the same leg or an artificial blood vessel.

We’d love to know what you think about what you’ve just been reading and looking at – we’ll use it to improve our information. If you’d like to give us some feedback, our short form below will take just a few minutes to complete. And if there's a question you want to ask that hasn't been answered here, please submit it to us. Although we can't respond to specific questions directly, we’ll aim to include the answer to it when we next review this topic.

About our health information

At Bupa we produce a wealth of free health information for you and your family. We believe that trustworthy information is essential in helping you make better decisions about your health and care. Here are just a few of the ways in which our core editorial principles have been recognised.

Information Standard

We are certified by the Information Standard. This quality mark identifies reliable, trustworthy producers and sources of health information.

HONcode

What our readers say about us

But don't just take our word for it; here's some feedback from our readers.

“Simple and easy to use website - not alarming, just helpful.”

“It’s informative but not too detailed. I like that it’s factual and realistic about the conditions and the procedures involved. It’s also easy to navigate to areas that you specifically want without having to read all the information.”

“Good information, easy to find, trustworthy.”

Meet the team

Andrew ByronHead of health content and clinical engagement

Dylan Merkett – Lead Editor – UK Customer

Nick Ridgman – Lead Editor – UK Health and Care Services

Natalie Heaton – Specialist Editor – User Experience

Pippa Coulter – Specialist Editor – Content Library

Alice Rossiter – Specialist Editor – Insights

Laura Blanks – Specialist Editor – Quality

Michelle Harrison – Editorial Assistant

Our core principles

All our health content is produced in line with our core editorial principles – readable, reliable, relevant – which are represented by our diagram.

Click to open full-size image

The ‘3Rs’ encompass everything we believe good health information should be. From tweets to in-depth reports, videos to quizzes, every piece of content we produce has these as its foundation.

Readable

In a nutshell, our information is jargon-free, concise and accessible. We know our audience and we meet their health information needs, helping them to take the next step in their health and wellbeing journey.

Reliable

We use the best quality and most up-to-date evidence to produce our information. Our process is transparent and validated by experts – both our users and medical specialists.

Relevant

We know that our users want the right information at the right time, in the way that suits them. So we review our content at least every three years to keep it fresh. And we’re embracing new technology and social media so they can get it whenever and wherever they choose.

Our accreditation

Here are just a few of the ways in which the quality of our information has been recognised.

The Information Standard certification scheme

You will see the Information Standard quality mark on our content. This is a certification programme, supported by NHS England, that was developed to ensure that public-facing health and care information is created to a set of best practice principles.

It uses only recognised evidence sources and presents the information in a clear and balanced way. The Information Standard quality mark is a quick and easy way for you to identify reliable and trustworthy producers and sources of information.

Certified by the Information Standard as a quality provider of health and social care information. Bupa shall hold responsibility for the accuracy of the information they publish and neither the Scheme Operator nor the Scheme Owner shall have any responsibility whatsoever for costs, losses or direct or indirect damages or costs arising from inaccuracy of information or omissions in information published on the website on behalf of Bupa.

British Medical Association (BMA) patient information awards

We have received a number of BMA awards for different assets over the years. Most recently, in 2013, we received a 'commended' award for our online shared decision making hub.

Contact us

If you have any feedback on our health information, we would love to hear from you. Please contact us via email: healthinfo@bupa.com. Or you can write to us:

This information was published by Bupa's Health Content Team and is based on reputable sources of medical evidence. It has been reviewed by appropriate medical or clinical professionals. Photos are only for illustrative purposes and do not reflect every presentation of a condition.

The information contained on this page and in any third party websites referred to on this page is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice nor is it intended to be for medical diagnosis or treatment. Third party websites are not owned or controlled by Bupa and any individual may be able to access and post messages on them. Bupa is not responsible for the content or availability of these third party websites. We do not accept advertising on this page.

For more details on how we produce our content and its sources, visit the 'About our health information' section.